##****/~,, ,,~/****##
@**/~,,,,, ,,,,,~/**@
##****/~,, ,,~/****##
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~/**@###
##****/~,, ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### ,,~/****##
@***~,,,,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,,,,~***@
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES ,,~/**@###
##@*/~,,,, OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE ,,,,~/*@##
@**/,,,,,, ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE ,,,,,,/**@
###@**/~,, BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR ,,~/**@###
####**/~,, SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM ,,~/**####
@**~,,,,,, INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK ,,,,,,~**@
###@**/~,, ANTENNA ARRAYS ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A ,,~/**@###
@@**//~,,, DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. ,,,~//**@@
@**~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~**@
###@**/~,, WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE ,,~/**@###
#@@*/~,,,, SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS ,,,,~/*@@#
@@*/~~,,,, PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR ,,,,~~/*@@
###@**/~,, GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, ,,~/**@###
#@@**/,,,, AND ~OUR~ LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE ,,,,/**@@#
###@**/~,, GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
@@*//,,,,, AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT ,,,,,//*@@
##*/~,,,,, VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ,,,,,~/*##
##@**~,,,, CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND ,,,,~**@##
###@**/~,, THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT ,,~/**@###
@*~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~*@
###@**/~,, AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR ,,~/**@###
#@**/~,,,, RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE ,,,,~/**@#
###@**/~,, AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), ,,~/**@###
##@@**/~,, DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE ,,~/**@@##
#@**//,,,, COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS ,,,,//**@#
####**/~,, FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS ,,~/**####
#*/~,,,,,, BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY ,,,,,,~/*#
@*/~,,,,,, DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, ,,,,,,~/*@
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
#@**//~~,, NO , ONE , HAS , ANSWERED ,,~~//**@#
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
@*//~,,,,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,,,,~//*@
###@**/~,, ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~/**@###
#**//~,,,, ,,,,~//**#
###@**/~,, SO WHY IS THAT? ,,~/**@###
#@**/,,,,, ,,,,,/**@#
@@***~,,,, MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN ,,,,~***@@
@**/,,,,,, THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ,,,,,,/**@
#@*///,,,, A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE ,,,,///*@#
###@**/~,, PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, HAS TO BE A PLANET!) ,,~/**@###
#@****/~,, ,,~/****@#
###@**/~,, BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY ,,~/**@###
##@**~,,,, SHOWS) ,,,,~**@##
@*////,,,, ,,,,////*@
##@@**/~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~/**@@##
###@**/~,, ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### ,,~/**@###
@@***/,,,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,,,/***@@
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
@***~,,,,, I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE ,,,,,~***@
@***/~,,,, THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ,,,,~/***@
###@**/~,, FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
#@@*/,,,,, ,,,,,/*@@#
###@**/~,, ,,~/**@###
#@*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*@#